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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bank — for money
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bank — for money
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. club — a group
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pit — in a race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com